Discovery of 10 H-Benzo[ b]pyrido[2,3- e][1,4]oxazine AXL Inhibitors via Structure-Based Drug Design Targeting c-Met Kinase

J Med Chem. 2023 Jan 12;66(1):220-234. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00962. Epub 2022 Dec 16.

Abstract

Receptor tyrosine kinase AXL exerts pivotal roles in cancer cell survival, metastasis, and drug resistance. Pharmacologic or genetic targeting of the aberrant AXL signaling has proven preferable antitumor efficacies in both preclinical and clinical studies, which highlights AXL as an attractive antitumor drug target. By conformational restriction of the anilinopyrimidine 10e and systematic structure-activity relationship (SAR) exploration, we discovered 10H-benzo[b]pyrido[2,3-e][1,4]oxazine 16j as a potent and orally bioavailable AXL inhibitor. As a type II AXL inhibitor, compound 16j displayed about 15-fold selectivity for AXL over its highly homologous kinase c-Met. And it significantly blocked cellular AXL signaling, inhibited AXL-mediated cell proliferation, and impaired growth arrest-specific protein 6 (Gas6)/AXL-stimulated cell migration and invasion. Moreover, 16j exhibited significant antitumor efficacy in AXL-driven xenograft model at a well-tolerant dosage, causing tumor stasis or regression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Axl Receptor Tyrosine Kinase*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Drug Design
  • Humans
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins* / metabolism
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases

Substances

  • Axl Receptor Tyrosine Kinase
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors